It started out as a rally for laid-off Xstrata Nickel workers and striking Steelworkers, but it turned into a Get Tony Clement event attended by more than 500 people.

Many in the crowd hoisted signs bearing the Industry minister's face crossed out with a large red X and bearing slogans deriding him for his remarks about Sudbury and Vale Inco last week.

The rally was planned before Clement told The Sudbury Star that Sudbury faced becoming the Valley of Death if Companhia Vale do Rio Doce had not purchased Inco Ltd. in 2006.

That comment, delivered on Day 5 of USW Local 6500's strike against Vale Inco, infuriated strikers and citizens, and resulted in a week-long backlash against Clement.

Friday, members of Mine Mill Local 598/CAW, among the almost 700 who lost their jobs with Xstrata in February, marched alongside USW Local 6500 members who took to the picket line July 13 when three months of negotiations with Vale Inco broke down.

The labour event began with rousing speeches from New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton and USW international president Leo Gerard at Copper Cliff's McClelland Arena and moved over to the picket line at Vale Inco's Copper Cliff smelter.

One theme was solidarity, regardless of one's sex, race, age or union affiliation. The other was how the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has let Sudburians down by allowing resources to be sold to foreign companies and not making them keep their promises.

Layton warned Canadians to pay attention to what is happening in Sudbury.

"We see time and time again, and all too often, these foreign multinationals come in and with the permission of the government, buy up Canadian companies and then begin to throw people out of work. They did it with softwood industry," said Layton.